The Salmon Trout Steelheader YouTube Page - Tony Amato

October 31, 2025

For close to 10 years now STS has been posting videos to our YouTube page and it’s been quite the learning experience. I hope that many of you have been able to enjoy them. Our first videos were done by Brian May who also started our Facebook and Instagram pages. At the time Brian was selling ads for STS. He’s a great guy and also very good with social media.

The author (left) edited this recent video with Big Dave using Premier Pro.

Brian moved on to a northwest ad agency and a few years later we brought on Lucas Holmgren. Lucas took the bull by horns and continued on with our STS videos, building new web pages for our magazines and books along with posting to our social media. He also wrote articles (still does) and taught my brother and I how to get shots for videos that people enjoy watching. We both learned a lot from Lucas. Currently I’ve taken over the role of hosting and editing the STS videos.

I do have to mention the first time I was involved or should I say “not involved” in a video. I was with Justin Wolff of Angler West TV. We were at Buoy 10 and Justin put the camera in my face and I froze. He said, “You’ve never done this,” and I said, “Nope.” There’s a first time for everything.

My background goes all the way back to paste-up layout in the 1980s and progressed to computer layout. About 5 years ago I decided to take on video editing. I was already very proficient using InDesign and Photoshop and adding a new program from the Adobe lineup like Premier Pro shortened my learning curve.

With all that said, I want to share with everyone what is involved in making a “YouTube” video. I’m no pro for sure, but here are some tips I can share to give everyone an idea of what goes into making a video.

GoPro “Action Camera”

To begin with I have to give credit to GoPro. When they released the GoPro 10 it had a new powerful GP2 processor and amazing stabilization features. The release of the 10 took our videos to another level. DSLR video cameras are by far superior with their focal point of view, but you cannot take them out on the river and get them wet, which could lead to a very expensive loss. STS has no “cameraman” and the GoPro is very versatile, easy to use and waterproof. And, they don’t break the bank.

GoPros are great, but they do have some limitations:

Focal point of view is flat and they are best used for close-up action
Cold weather can make them not stay on
Used for prolonged periods of time with their internal battery can make them overheat
Wind noise

It’s actually a pretty short list of negatives for the quality they produce. And some of these problems happen with most cameras. Here are a few remedies that I have found to get around these issues.

The focal point of view cannot be changed. Their small size and portability only allows for one fixed lens.

If you know it’s going to be cold outside put the battery(ies) in your pocket or jacket and keep them warm. It’s the battery that gets cold and will not function correctly.

While shooting the Umpqua Fishery Enhancement Derby last year, with guide Chris Hargate, I was at kids day and 20 seconds into this flight my RC controller brought up a big red box that said, “BATTERIES TOO COLD TO OPERATE.” It was 20 some degrees out in the early morning. To remedy the problem I put all my the batteries in my jeans pockets.

GoPros were not made to be left turned on for long periods of time. Because of their small size and portability the color screens and processor get hot. If you want to use the internal battery and leave it on for a prolonged period of time you need to turn off the front screen and set the rear screen to turn off after 1 minute. The recording quality can also be set to a lower resolution to help the processor from getting to hot. A few other things you can do is turn off the WIFI and any other functionality that you don’t need that will make the processor work harder.

The best way to take long videos is to remove the internal battery and use an external one. You can get a pass-through door and plug in a separate power source which really helps. You can also crank your resolution back up. Grips/handles are also available with a built in battery that will supply many hours of recording time with one external battery. However, the camera will no longer be water/air tight and could be damaged in foul weather.

Wind Noise

The built-in sound on a GoPro is outstanding. But to take it out of the box and go outside and start recording you will get wind noise. And wind noise in a video can ruin it. There’s lots of media mods you can get that cost pretty good money. I use a simple foam “windslayer.” They are just a couple bucks online and work great. I recommend getting a 2 or 4 pack as they can tear and wear out over time. I usually carry two or three GoPros with me and I will set up one with the windslayer for sections of the video where people are talking and another one without a windslayer for underwater and scenery shots. Your GoPro is also still waterproof with just a windslayer on it and the internal battery.

A windslayer is a foam covering that can be placed over your GoPro to cover the microphones and reduce nearly all wind noise when recording.

Extensions - Grips - Tripods - Mounts

Another essential device is an extension pole. Extension polls are not necessary for up-close talking. Where they shine is capturing cool shots from high-up vantage points or shooting underwater video. You can also use them as your hand held grip when not extended. A powered tripod grip is helpful for interviews and allows a GoPro to record for longer periods of time. A great way to get that awesome takedown shot is to use an external power grib and a mount on your boat. But keep in mind that it will not be water-tight.

Extension grips and small tripod grips are a must for the GoPro. A powered grip is not shown.

Protecting Your Camera

Some of you may have noticed that I carry my cameras in purple Crown Royal bags. The bags work great to protect the camera and the lens. I also wipe the lens with the inside of the bag to make sure there are no spots on it before recording. This is very helpful for a clear shot and can be done quickly.

That pretty much covers tips and tricks when using a GoPro. But every time I was out shooting a video I felt like there was something missing due to the lack of not having the capabilities of an expensive DSLR camera with a zoom. And I’m not one to drop a 2 or 3 thousand dollar piece of equipment into the drink. And I also didn’t want to carry a ton of equipment with me. I needed something with a quality “zoom.”

Using these “purple bags” they keep the cameras safe and you can quickly wipe the lens as you take it out to video.

Zoom Camera

On one fishing/video trip I was with Buzz Ramsey and he noticed a bear walking along a steep grassy hillside. I saw it and didn’t even bother to get out the GoPro, it was too far away. Seeing a bear in Oregon or Washington while fishing is rare. That situtation put me over the edge and I knew I needed a compact easy to use camera with a great zoom. While at the same time, once again, not breaking the bank.

I spent many hours researching cameras and came up with two options. One was a Panasonic and the other was a Sony. I classify this equipment as disposable because of the conditions I shoot in (more on that later). New, these cameras were going for about $950.00. So I started surfing Facebook Marketplace for used ones. I was actually looking for the Panasonic but the first one I found used was the Sony. It was listed at half its retail price and hardly used. I contacted the seller offered 50 bucks less and it was mine.

I’ve only used the Sony a handful of times and it has completely changed the quality of the STS videos. I can now get “zoom shots” that I would never been able to get using a GoPro alone. The Sony turns on very quickly, takes sharp shots with 4K and a great auto focus.

The Sony 4K FDR-AX43 has an amazing zoom as you can see here with this closeup of a frog in my backyard. I added a shotgun mic and a “dead cat” for wind noise. It also has a built in gimbal for a steady shot when hand held. And with a single charge the battery can go for over an hour of recording time.

Dreaded Drones

Earlier I mentioned that my equipment is “disposable.” I say this because I have lost 2 drones. One to an angry Canadian goose and the other one disappeared into a large fir tree. Probably operator error on that one. At the moment, I’m flying a DJI Mini 3. It works great, but so not good for slow motion shots. I take this equipment into unforgiving situations with fresh and salt water, hot temperatures, cold temperatures and rain. Not to mention the possibility of loss or theft.

The DJI Mini 3 is affordable and takes 4K video, but not at a high enough resolution for slow motion action. Just fly slower and be a courteous flyer.

After loosing 2 drones I have trained myself to remove the SSD card from the drone and copy the video to a drive before my next flight. This way, if you loose the drone on the next flight you have saved the previous hi-res footage before flying again. I copy the footage to my iPhone with an adapter and then put the chip back into the drone. This is very helpful and relieves some stress. Take care to not format the SSD chip with your iPhone. If that happens the drone will not be able to read the card. You can reformat the chip with the drone RC connected to the aircraft. I learned this the hard way.

You never know when a drone misshape may take place. A USB 3.0 SSD card reader like this one allows you to copy your hi-res footage to your smartphone between flights.

Here’s a quick rundown of the time involved to make one video:

Night before:

Dump the old video from the cameras and charge all the batteries. GoPro(s), Sony, Drone.
Re-pack everything and hope I didn’t forget something. Get my gear/clothing/food ready etc.
Go to bed thinking about what the heck I’m going to say the next day. And hoping we catch some fish.

Day of Fishing:

Still thinking about what to say.
Will I have a lively crew that talks.
Hope that we catch a fish or two.
Remembering everyones name.
Worrying that maybe I missed a great shot due to a camera failure or forgot to hit record. It happens...
Will I crash the drone?
Will I crash my truck after getting up at 3:00 AM and getting home at 1 AM the next day. We’ve all done it.

Video Editing Day

Downloading video from 3 cameras and the drone.
Editing a larger video can take an entire day or a bit more.
Will this video make enough to pay for my gas, parking fee, a bottled water and a sandwich for lunch. Maybe?
Finally get caught up on sleep

Another thing to consider if you are reading this editorial and are thinking about sharing it with someone that may be interested in starting a YouTube page. Make sure to have a fast computer and lots of drive space. 4- and 8-terabyte SSD drives are your friend. Videos take up an immense amount of drive space.

Sometimes I get comments from people saying how it must be awesome to go on these trips. And I cannot complain. But it’s not just a fishing trip for me it’s a multi-day work job that doesn’t end when fishing is over. And there’s a lot of stress involved trying to “make something good.” I usually let others take my fish first and I don’t mind. If we get to the point where we may limit out then it’s my turn. I enjoy watching others catch fish more than catching them myself, unless it’s a BIG one.

If anyone has a question or would like to make a comment I’d be more than happy to answer them in the comment section below. And keep in mind that I am not a Hollywood producer.